1. To Establish Justice:
   1. Restore “Constitutional law” as the basis for the Judiciary.
   2. Reassert the principle that “Freedom of Religion” does not mean “freedom from religion”.
   3. To Insure Domestic tranquility:
      1. Promote family values.

                                          i.   Marriage is an institution between a man and a woman.

                                        ii.   Parents, not government, are responsible for making decisions in the best interest of their children, whether disciplinary, educational, or medical.

                                       iii.   We recognize the sanctity of life, which includes the unborn.

Judges should follow the law not rewrite it.  There is way too much rewriting.  It was not tea partiers or Ron Paul that took away the right to pray at football games or graduations or try to remove “Under God” from the Pledge.  Thank God that the Texas Board of Education is moving in the right direction in restoring some discussion of the influence of religion on the origins of the American Republic.

Even President Obama publicly agrees that marriage is for one man and one woman.  Redefining marriage is a good way to bring about family and moral chaos.  There was one prior time some tried to redefine marriage; the people said no to polygamy on MORAL grounds.  About that time (1893) the Supreme Court stated in the Holy Trinity Church v. United States that we are a “Christian nation”.  That does not mean we do not have religious liberty.  That is one of our blessings to the world.  However, few have read the Holy Trinity Church case.  The Court added a gloss to the immigration statute in effect at that time that the church (a Episcopal church who sought a rector from Great Britain) technically violated.  The Court held the law has a gloss that permitted this act because it was in keeping with the spirit of the law.  The Court cited many examples of the religious character of the US in its law and history.  I recommend it for people’s reading.   

Those who are opposed to MORALITY in law should ask themselves this:  What if we were not a moral nation?  Would we have responded to the moral, Biblical appeal of Dr. King and his followers?  Praise God we were still a moral nation.  People prayed in schools and even read the Bible there.  Guess what:  Few if any metal detectors were needed in the public schools.   Dr. King helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.  (emphasis added)  Wonder why he called it that…

Parents should be the primary source of guidance to children, UN bureaucrats and government know-it-alls notwithstanding.  Nothing radical here.

I recognize that people disagree on abortion.  I am conflicted as well.  Either we protect unborn life or we subject pregnant women to government scrutiny much like parents are scrutinized by social services.  I see both sides.  But, this is well within the mainstream of conservative thought.

1. Restore the process of assimilation of immigrants to preserve the benefits of an advanced educated and prosperous society.  Rescind Maine’s sanctuary State status. No amnesty, no benefits, no citizenship -ever- for anyone in the country illegally. Arrest and detain, for a specified period of time, anyone here illegally, and then deport, period.
2. Pass a Congressional reform act which includes the following provisions:

                                          i.   Term Limits: 12 years only, in any capacity.

1. Two Six year Senate terms
2. Six Two year House terms
3. One Six year Senate term and three Two Year House terms

                                        ii.    No Pension  

                                       iii.   Congress participates in Social Security under the same rules as the general public.

                                      iv.   Congress can no longer vote themselves a pay raise.

                                        v.   Congress participates in the same health care plan as the general public. No preferential plans or treatment.

                                      vi.   Congress is subject to and must abide by all the laws they impose on the general public.

For reasons I have stated earlier on this blog, I cannot support the Maine platform in this situation.  But something must be done.  Something that upholds the law, secures the border and is humane.  But people are fed up with illegals being encouraged to come here and then they get unfair benefits such as tax free (illegally tax free of course) income and free benefits some hardworking citizens and LEGAL immigrants are not eligible for.

I do not support term limits but the theory here is that politicians become the master of the people instead of their servant.  That is desirable. 

Congress can exempt themselves from many laws and one of Speaker Gingrich’s early reforms was to stop that practice.  There were reports that Congress had exempted themselves from the health care bill.  In effect they are exempt because they get special health care treatment at places like Bethesda and never wait in line for the ER.  This again must stop.  Congressional pay is an issue I understand the feeling about but most congressmen have to have two residences, one in their district and one in DC area.  There is a Constitutional Amendment (XXVII) that governs that.  Again, it is frustration at getting a salary most ordinary people only dream of for what appears to be useless work.  They also get all sorts of perks and have power and glory that corrupts most of them.   I understand that frustration.

First, let’s cite the pertinent sections of that radical off the wall document:

Oppose any and all treaties with the UN or any other organization or country which surrenders US sovereignty. Specifically:

                                          i.   Reject the UN Treaty on Rights of the Child.

                                        ii.   Reject “LOST” the Law Of The Sea Treaty.

                                       iii.   Reject any agreement which seeks to confiscate our firearms.

Certainly most agree that firearms should not be confiscated.  I want to discuss this more in another posting.  There is a so-called small arms treaty that is seen by some as a confiscation of firearms.  The Bush administration opposed it; the present one supports it provided there is a consensus veto.  However, it does require governments to monitor arms transfers:

Nations would remain in charge of their arms export control arrangements but would be legally obliged to assess each export against criteria agreed under the treaty. Governments would have to authorize transfers in writing and in advance.

Same for the amply named LOST Treaty.  Here’s an article from Worldwatch that admits it is a unacceptable loss of sovereignty:

The agreement also oversees an international tribunal to settle fishing, pollution, and property rights disputes, as well as the International Seabed Authority, a body formed to assign mining rights beyond the EEZs.

President Obama supports the radical Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women:

There are a number of meritorious treaties currently pending before the Senate. Some of these are clearly in the national interest, such as the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. As president, I will make it my priority to build bipartisan consensus behind ratification of such treaties.

What does the CEDAW stand for?  Try this:

In 2009, we are also celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Optional Protocol to the Convention, which empowers the CEDAW Committee to hear complaints of rights violations brought by individuals. To date, 186 countries have ratified the Convention and 98 of these countries have ratified the Optional Protocol.

All three of these treaties are bad and should be rejected.  We cannot constitutionally cede power to unelected foreign boards.  The Constitution is the supreme law of the land (I mean in human terms) and cannot be overridden. 

But it is the “UN Treaty on the Rights of the Child” that I want to discuss.   I wrote a previous posting on this question here at Virginia Right.  Don’t take my word for it:  Let’s start with the American Bar Association:

The American Bar Association admitted to CNSNews last November that:

“Every national government in the world, except the United States, has developed in response to the Convention of the Rights of the Child official detailed national reports on how children are fairing in their country,” Howard Davidson, director of the American Bar Association Center for Children and the Law, said at the press conference.

 “And child protection and advocacy watchdog groups have been able to react to those reports by doing their own shadow reporting to the international committee on the rights of the child,” Davidson added.

Hordes of bureaucrats and anti-American special interests will be able to invade our schools (Christian ones too), prisons, hospitals and force new compliance rules on social services agencies.  I cannot see this as anything but bad for America.  It’s a outrageous invasion of our sovereignty.

Don’t take my word for it.  Take UNICEF’S word (I added the article heading):

Article 12:  When adults are making decisions that affect children, children have the right to say what they think should happen and have their opinions taken into account.

 Article 14:  Children have the right to think and believe what they want and to practise their religion, as long as they are not stopping other people from enjoying their rights. Parents should help guide their children in these matters. The Convention respects the rights and duties of parents in providing religious and moral guidance to their children. Religious groups around the world have expressed support for the Convention, which indicates that it in no way prevents parents from bringing their children up within a religious tradition. At the same time, the Convention recognizes that as children mature and are able to form their own views, some may question certain religious practices or cultural traditions. The Convention supports children’s right to examine their beliefs, but it also states that their right to express their beliefs implies respect for the rights and freedoms of others.

 Article 15:  Children have the right to meet together and to join groups and organisations, as long as it does not stop other people from enjoying their rights. In exercising their rights, children have the responsibility to respect the rights, freedoms and reputations of others.

Article 16:   Children have a right to privacy. The law should protect them from attacks against their way of life, their good name, their families and their homes.

Article 43-54:  These articles discuss how governments and international organizations like UNICEF should work to ensure children are protected in their rights.

 I said in my prior post:

The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (which requires if a foreign national is arrested he/she has a right to notify his/her embassy) has already been used as a club to condemn the US in the World Court and require police training on compliance. Only because the Supreme Court did not say so was the World Court’s decision not used to invalidate a Texas death sentence.

But we came nearly close to having this evil treaty that will give children the right to sue their parents for invasions of their bedrooms or Internet sites or making them go to church or prevent them from getting birth control or even an abortion imposed on us without a vote or election.  The Supreme Court of the United States held that juvenile offenders CANNOT be sentenced for life without parole unless they killed someone.  A 17 year old who commits a series of armed home invasions cannot get a life sentence without parole unless someone is killed.  Never mind what the Virginia or Florida voters or representatives want.  In the process, the Court said this:

The Constitution prohibits the imposition of a life without parole sentence on a juvenile offender who did not commit homicide.

The Eighth Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.  Part of the Court’s Eighth Amendment analysis concerns norms of proper or improper punishment.  As long as it studies state and federal laws that is fine.  However, an important part of this analysis is the laws of other nations.  This includes the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child:

We also note, as petitioner and his amici emphasize, that Article 37(a) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Nov. 20, 1989, 1577 U. N. T. S. 3 (entered into force Sept. 2, 1990), ratified by every nation except the United States and Somalia, prohibits the imposition of “life imprisonment without possibility of release . . . for offences committed by persons below eighteen years of age.” Brief for Petitioner 66; Brief for Amnesty International et al. as Amici Curiae 15–17.

The Court continues:

The Court has treated the laws and practices of other nations and international agreements as relevant to the Eighth Amendment not because those norms are binding or controlling but because the judgment of the world’s nations that a particular sentencing practice is inconsistent with basic principles of decency demonstrates that the Court’s rationale has respected reasoning to support it.

This is how close we came to having a United Nations treaty imposed on us.  In effect, Article 37(a) of this Treaty was adopted as a constitutional requirement.  The Obama Administration thinks the rest of this treaty should become the law of the land:

The Obama Administration predictably endorses this treaty. Our UN Ambassador, Susan Rice, was quoted in the Huffington Post as trying to decide “when and how it might be possible to join” the treaty. For the treaty to pass, there must be a two-thirds (67) votes in the Senate.

And the left thinks the Maine GOP are wingnuts to be paranoid about world government?  It demonstrates how out of touch many elites are in this country.  Give me the Maine GOP any day!

POSTSCRIPT:  Senator DeMint of South Carolina has introduced a resolution stating that the President should not even send this treaty to the Senate.  You can help.  Contact Senators Warner and Webb.  Here’s how:

Contact Senators Webb and Warner and indicate your opposition to this treaty. Senator Webb’s DC office is 202 224.4024 and Senator Warner’s office is 202 224.2023. You should also email them – let them know (I believe that Senator Webb with his military background and occasional conservative tendencies, especially involving guns, is best to try to persuade) in a gentle and respectful but firm manner that this treaty endangers home schooling, the liberty to raise up your children in your religious traditions, and requires us to report to unelected foreign bureaucrats in Geneva as to our compliance.

1. To Form a More perfect Union
   1. All legislation must adhere to the restrictions outlined in the Constitution to protect the individual from intrusive government.
   2. Direct the State of Maine to join with other states in asserting our 10^th amendment sovereignty rights which protect us from unconstitutional federal government intrusions.
   3. Insist on strict adherence to our 2^nd amendment right to keep and bear arms.
   4. Pass a “Read the Bill” act, to insure clarity, and eliminate the corruption associated with side issues, earmarks, pork or riders.
   5. Oppose “Localism and Diversity”, the Fairness Doctrine or whatever else such attempted restrictions are labeled. Any restriction on speech is by definition NOT free speech.
   6. Reject the Employee free -choice Elimination- act, as an unconscionable affront to the right to a secret vote.
   7. Restore integrity to the electoral process:

                                          i.   Prohibit any public funding of advocacy groups such as ACORN, no matter what it or its affiliate organizations rename themselves; New York Communities for Change, New England United for Justice etc.; Conduct thorough investigation of their activities and voter fraud and prosecute violations.

                                        ii.   Eliminate motor voter and other voter fraud mechanisms; institute secure voter registration and identification systems.

                                       iii.   Reject any effort to give foreign citizens the right to vote in the US in any situation or capacity.

Still looking for radical stuff?  So am I. 

Items 1 through 6 seem fairly tame to me.  Common sense.

1.  All laws should be subject to the Constitution. 

2.  Maine should stand up for its rights and the rights of other states against federal intrusion. 

3.  The right of the people to keep and bear arms is a right in the Constitution and also essential to a free people. 

4.  Laws should be read before they are passed. 

5.  The “Fairness Doctrine” that used to mandate “equal time” (which usually meant “no time”) for all viewpoints would never pass constitutional muster except in the broadcast media.  Do we want to go back to the bland political debate before “Fairness Doctrine” was set aside?  Talk radio and soon Fox News have enhanced the dialogue and empowered conservatives.  The Internet also needs to be left alone. 

6.   The so-called “Card Check” law will deny workers a secret ballot for union elections and replace it with thugs and intimidation.

The ACORN aspect of item seven could be slightly controversial.  I agree it is not fair to criticize all the affiliates of ACORN but there is enough scandal associated with ACORN and related items to deny them public funds unless they can show they are not involved in illegal activities.

Foreign citizens should not vote in US elections.

Finally, we showed in my first post on this matter that the respected libertarian think tank the Cato Institute has demonstrated that the motor voter scheme has increased voter fraud. 

Maybe we’ll find something radical tomorrow…

Here it is copied from the Maine GOP website:

Platform of the Maine Republican Party

Adopted by the Maine Republican State Convention on May 8, 2010

Preamble:

In the course of a nation’s history, it is natural that political philosophies will evolve which run contrary to the original principles evident at the time of that nation’s founding. A nation founded in tyranny will by its nature spawn sentiment in direct opposition to that tyranny. Conversely, a nation which is dedicated to protecting the rights of its people, and seeks to bind the excesses of power which naturally accrue to governments, is subject to the evolution of factions which strive to throw off those shackles of restraint and gather power and influence over the people. Freedom is not a pre-existing condition into which everyone is delivered. Freedom and personal liberty are conditions of existence which are hard fought for and once won, must be maintained. Each generation must be taught anew the importance of eternal vigilance against those who would disregard the limits imposed on government, and usurp powers not granted to them by the people.

Today this state and the nation are in crisis precisely because we as a people have failed to maintain that vigilance. We have failed to pass down from one generation to another the critical knowledge and lessons that history provides. We have let rot from within, the foundation upon which freedom and prosperity must be built for it to survive.

This election cycle is unique in the history of both this state and our nation. We are presented with a situation in which WE THE PEOPLE, must re-educate ourselves and our neighbors, and put the knowledge of liberty to work in the elections this November. Years of neglect have allowed factions detrimental to the core principles of this nation, to entrench themselves in both political parties, and undermine the education of Constitutional principles vital to the survival of the republic. 

The Tea Party movement is reminiscent of the principled revolt that led to the birth of the Republican Party in 1854.  In June of that year, Horace Greeley referred to the newly formed Republicans as “…united to restore the Union to its true mission of champion and promulgator of Liberty…”.  This year it is incumbent upon those Republicans who strive to protect and defend our Constitution, to reclaim that heritage.

It is within this context that We, the citizens of Maine united by free association as Republicans, dedicated to seeing the principles which brought forth the birth and ascendance of this State and these United States once again made dominant and pledge our unwavering allegiance, not to a political party, but to the Constitution of the State of Maine and the Constitution of the United States of America. The Republican Party is the vehicle through which we seek to better unify and promote those in pursuit of these goals.

The principles upon which the Republican Party was founded, to which we as Citizens seek return, and to which we demand our elected representatives abide, are summarized as follows:

1. The Constitutions, both State and Federal, are the framework to which any and all legislation must adhere.
2. State sovereignty must be regained and retained on all issues specifically relegated to the States by the constitution.
3. National sovereignty shall be preserved and retained as dominant over any attempted unconstitutional usurpations of such by international treaty.
4. It is the responsibility and duty, of “We the People”,  to educate both ourselves and others; to demand honest elections free of corruption, and to hold our elected officials to the highest standards of honesty, integrity and loyalty to the constitution.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

In pursuit of these principles we endorse and shall promote the following initiatives.

1. To Form a More perfect Union
   1. All legislation must adhere to the restrictions outlined in the Constitution to protect the individual from intrusive government.
   2. Direct the State of Maine to join with other states in asserting our 10^th amendment sovereignty rights which protect us from unconstitutional federal government intrusions.
   3. Insist on strict adherence to our 2^nd amendment right to keep and bear arms.
   4. Pass a “Read the Bill” act, to insure clarity, and eliminate the corruption associated with side issues, earmarks, pork or riders.
   5. Oppose “Localism and Diversity”, the Fairness Doctrine or whatever else such attempted restrictions are labeled. Any restriction on speech is by definition NOT free speech.
   6. Reject the Employee free -choice Elimination- act, as an unconscionable affront to the right to a secret vote.
   7. Restore integrity to the electoral process:

                                          i.   Prohibit any public funding of advocacy groups such as ACORN, no matter what it or its affiliate organizations rename themselves; New York Communities for Change, New England United for Justice etc.; Conduct thorough investigation of their activities and voter fraud and prosecute violations.

                                        ii.   Eliminate motor voter and other voter fraud mechanisms; institute secure voter registration and identification systems.

                                       iii.   Reject any effort to give foreign citizens the right to vote in the US in any situation or capacity.

1. Oppose any and all treaties with the UN or any other organization or country which surrenders US sovereignty. Specifically:

                                          i.   Reject the UN Treaty on Rights of the Child.

                                        ii.   Reject “LOST” the Law Of The Sea Treaty.

                                       iii.   Reject any agreement which seeks to confiscate our firearms.

1. Restore the process of assimilation of immigrants to preserve the benefits of an advanced educated and prosperous society.  Rescind Maine’s sanctuary State status. No amnesty, no benefits, no citizenship -ever- for anyone in the country illegally. Arrest and detain, for a specified period of time, anyone here illegally, and then deport, period.
2. Pass a Congressional reform act which includes the following provisions:

                                          i.   Term Limits: 12 years only, in any capacity.

1. Two Six year Senate terms
2. Six Two year House terms
3. One Six year Senate term and three Two Year House terms

                                        ii.    No Pension  

                                       iii.   Congress participates in Social Security under the same rules as the general public.

                                      iv.   Congress can no longer vote themselves a pay raise.

                                        v.   Congress participates in the same health care plan as the general public. No preferential plans or treatment.

                                      vi.   Congress is subject to and must abide by all the laws they impose on the general public.

1. 1. Restore “Constitutional law” as the basis for the Judiciary.
   2. Reassert the principle that “Freedom of Religion” does not mean “freedom from religion”.
   3. To Insure Domestic tranquility:
      1. Promote family values.

                                          i.   Marriage is an institution between a man and a woman.

                                        ii.   Parents, not government, are responsible for making decisions in the best interest of their children, whether disciplinary, educational, or medical.

                                       iii.   We recognize the sanctity of life, which includes the unborn.

1. To Provide for the Common Defense:
   1. Discard political correctness, make public the declaration of war (Jihad), made against the US on  23 Feb 1998, and fight the war against the United States by radical Islam to win.
   2. Seal the border and protect US citizens along the border and everywhere, as is the prime directive of the Federal Government.
   3. To Promote the General Welfare:
      1. Return to the principles of Austrian Economics, and redirect the economy back to one of incentives to save and invest.
      2. Cut spending, balance the budget, and institute a plan for paying down debt. Proclaim that generational debt shifting is immoral and unconscionable and will not be tolerated!
      3. Pass and implement Fed bill #1207 (Introduced by Ron Paul), to Audit the Federal Reserve, as the first step in Ending the Fed.
      4. Return to transparent and honest reporting of economic statistics free of gimmicks and distortions.
      5. Require the government and all its agencies adhere to the same GAAP accounting rules that businesses must follow.
      6. Restore the provisions of welfare reform removed with the stimulus bill.
      7. Defeat Cap and Trade, investigate collusion between government and industry in the global warming myth, and prosecute any illegal collusion.
      8. Freeze current stimulus funds, prohibit any further stimulus bills, and apply all unspent funds towards the debt they created.
      9. Promote energy independence aggressively by removing the obstacles created by government to allow private development of our resources; natural gas, oil, coal, and nuclear power.
      10. Institute Zero based budgeting on all programs.
      11. Espouse and follow the principle: It is immoral to steal the property rightfully earned by one person, and give it to another who has no claim or right to its benefits. 
      12. Clarify that healthcare is not a right. It is a service.  As a compassionate society we will aid those in need. However, the government takeover of healthcare is not only unconstitutional, but detrimental to the entire healthcare system.  Only market based solutions will solve the problems.

                                          i.   In the state of Maine:

1. Remove the restrictions on health providers, (as was done in New Hampshire), to increase competition, drive down the costs, and increase the options available.
   1. Bring Maine standards in line with national average.
   2. Allow purchase of insurance across state lines. LD 290
   3. Enact tort reform as exemplified by Texas.
   4. Eliminate Dirigo

 To Secure the Blessings of Liberty:

1. 1. Restore a vigorous grounding in the history and precepts of liberty, freedom, and the constitution to the educational process. As Thomas Jefferson said, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.”

                                          i.   Eliminate the Department of Education and restore schools to local control as specified in the constitution.

1. Repeal and prohibit any participation in efforts to create a one world government.

Let’s start at the top:

1. The Constitutions, both State and Federal, are the framework to which any and all legislation must adhere.
2. State sovereignty must be regained and retained on all issues specifically relegated to the States by the constitution.
3. National sovereignty shall be preserved and retained as dominant over any attempted unconstitutional usurpations of such by international treaty.
4. It is the responsibility and duty, of “We the People”,  to educate both ourselves and others; to demand honest elections free of corruption, and to hold our elected officials to the highest standards of honesty, integrity and loyalty to the constitution.

It should be beyond serious controversy that the US Constitution is the supreme (human) law of the land and that the Maine Constitution is supreme in the State of Maine over all state and local laws. 

It should also be beyond serious controversy that the Tenth Amendment does reserve to the states all unemumerated powers given to the Federal Government.  There may be room to disagree about where that line is drawn but the manner is constitutionally settled.

It should be but probably is not that constitutional rights and national sovereignty have been and are in danger of being undermined by international treaties and agreements.  The International Criminal Court, the WTO, NAFTA, and other international agreements do threaten national sovereignty and constitutional rights.  We’ll discuss more later.

Finally, it goes without saying that we should have honest elections and the officeholders are accountable to the people. 

Next post, we’ll begin to analyze this wonderful and amazing document.

Restore the process of assimilation of immigrants to preserve the benefits of an advanced educated and prosperous society.  Rescind Maine’s sanctuary State status. No amnesty, no benefits, no citizenship -ever- for anyone in the country illegally. Arrest and detain, for a specified period of time, anyone here illegally, and then deport, period.

I am conflicted about immigration.  We cannot tolerate open violation of the laws.  I recall a immigration seminar for lawyers I attended several years ago.  The speaker was finishing up with questions and one question from another attorney was in effect what do I tell my client and what if the client won’t do it?  Am I liable or ethically compromised?  The seminar leader essentially said you have to tell the client the penalties but you are not obligated to check behind or turn in the client.  It was obvious to me that his client was knowingly hiring illegals and the lawyer knew it! 

I also am concerned about the illegals who seek a better life for them and their kids.  Cong. Paul says that if you subsidize something you get more of it.  We subsidize illegal immigration through non-emergency health care, free education and willing employers who look the other way.  They sometimes pay under the table and avoid payroll taxes and regulations.  Of course illegals are exploited and their families too.  They are here seeking that better life.  I respect that.  Probably most illegals are “law-abiding” other than those laws incidental to their status.

Not ALL illegals were or are Hispanic.  I recall a young lady selling some sort of item to my employer, an attorney, many years ago.  She caught my eye immediately as a well-curved, curly haired blonde from a Northern European country.  (I was still single at the time.)  I asked her out for lunch and the curvy gal surprisingly said yes.  When we went to lunch, she candidly said to me (why I do not know nor do I know why she did not seek the dorky lawyer for a green card marriage I can only thank the Lord Jesus for His protection!) that she came on a tourist visa and stayed to work in the USA.  I was astounded.  I was to see her again (she was after all a curvy blonde!) but when I tried to visit her employer a week or two later, I got two streets mixed up and ended up in the wrong part of town.  When I called the work place several days later, she was not working there.  Was she ratted out?  Did she decide to go home?  I wonder what happened to her and still do.

As a follower of Christ I am not unaware of the many exhortations in the Bible about taking care of the foreigner and the widow and orphan among you.  How does this play into the illegal immigration debate?  I think it means love them in the Name of Christ and minister to their needs.  It does not require evangelicals to support amnesty.  But I am not entirely comfortable with the alternative:  Forced deportation or denying benefits like education to kids of illegals.  I also am opposed to discrimination and profiling of Hispanics or anybody else. 

So, I cannot support the Maine platform in this situation.  But something must be done.  Something that upholds the law, secures the border and is humane.  But people are fed up with illegals being encouraged to come here and then they get unfair benefits such as tax free (illegally tax free of course) income and free benefits some hardworking citizens and LEGAL immigrants are not eligible for.

He has a clever Internet ad here on his webpage.  Redstate commented on it as well. 

Britton’s position on issues like Afghanistan are promising:

I love and support our troops, especially the 1,500 Vermont National Guard soldiers deployed to Afghanistan, and I’m against putting them in harm’s way without a clear mission and strategy. I am not convinced we have either in Afghanistan, but I am convinced that native Afghan forces will never step up to protect their own homeland until our departure requires them to. Nation-building and counterinsurgency have not worked in Afghanistan to date and cost too many American lives. Meanwhile al-Qaeda gathers strength elsewhere, from Pakistan to Yemen.

On health care, another promising position:

The current bills are products of business-as-usual Washington. They’re expensive, pork-filled, and they’ll make a bad deficit worse. Starting over with a free-market focus would be far more likely to deliver Americans the medical services they need more efficiently.  Meaningful tort reform would reduce both legal and insurance costs.

This is a promising development.  New England seems to be flirting with libertarian ideals in the GOP.  The Maine GOP platform is a Ron Paul/Tea Party document.  Now we have a libertarianish candidate running in Vermont.  Could be an interesting election.

Here it is copied from the Maine GOP website:

Platform of the Maine Republican Party

Adopted by the Maine Republican State Convention on May 8, 2010

Preamble:

In the course of a nation’s history, it is natural that political philosophies will evolve which run contrary to the original principles evident at the time of that nation’s founding. A nation founded in tyranny will by its nature spawn sentiment in direct opposition to that tyranny. Conversely, a nation which is dedicated to protecting the rights of its people, and seeks to bind the excesses of power which naturally accrue to governments, is subject to the evolution of factions which strive to throw off those shackles of restraint and gather power and influence over the people. Freedom is not a pre-existing condition into which everyone is delivered. Freedom and personal liberty are conditions of existence which are hard fought for and once won, must be maintained. Each generation must be taught anew the importance of eternal vigilance against those who would disregard the limits imposed on government, and usurp powers not granted to them by the people.

Today this state and the nation are in crisis precisely because we as a people have failed to maintain that vigilance. We have failed to pass down from one generation to another the critical knowledge and lessons that history provides. We have let rot from within, the foundation upon which freedom and prosperity must be built for it to survive.

This election cycle is unique in the history of both this state and our nation. We are presented with a situation in which WE THE PEOPLE, must re-educate ourselves and our neighbors, and put the knowledge of liberty to work in the elections this November. Years of neglect have allowed factions detrimental to the core principles of this nation, to entrench themselves in both political parties, and undermine the education of Constitutional principles vital to the survival of the republic. 

The Tea Party movement is reminiscent of the principled revolt that led to the birth of the Republican Party in 1854.  In June of that year, Horace Greeley referred to the newly formed Republicans as “…united to restore the Union to its true mission of champion and promulgator of Liberty…”.  This year it is incumbent upon those Republicans who strive to protect and defend our Constitution, to reclaim that heritage.

It is within this context that We, the citizens of Maine united by free association as Republicans, dedicated to seeing the principles which brought forth the birth and ascendance of this State and these United States once again made dominant and pledge our unwavering allegiance, not to a political party, but to the Constitution of the State of Maine and the Constitution of the United States of America. The Republican Party is the vehicle through which we seek to better unify and promote those in pursuit of these goals.

The principles upon which the Republican Party was founded, to which we as Citizens seek return, and to which we demand our elected representatives abide, are summarized as follows:

1. The Constitutions, both State and Federal, are the framework to which any and all legislation must adhere.
2. State sovereignty must be regained and retained on all issues specifically relegated to the States by the constitution.
3. National sovereignty shall be preserved and retained as dominant over any attempted unconstitutional usurpations of such by international treaty.
4. It is the responsibility and duty, of “We the People”,  to educate both ourselves and others; to demand honest elections free of corruption, and to hold our elected officials to the highest standards of honesty, integrity and loyalty to the constitution.

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In pursuit of these principles we endorse and shall promote the following initiatives.

1. To Form a More perfect Union
   1. All legislation must adhere to the restrictions outlined in the Constitution to protect the individual from intrusive government.
   2. Direct the State of Maine to join with other states in asserting our 10^th amendment sovereignty rights which protect us from unconstitutional federal government intrusions.
   3. Insist on strict adherence to our 2^nd amendment right to keep and bear arms.
   4. Pass a “Read the Bill” act, to insure clarity, and eliminate the corruption associated with side issues, earmarks, pork or riders.
   5. Oppose “Localism and Diversity”, the Fairness Doctrine or whatever else such attempted restrictions are labeled. Any restriction on speech is by definition NOT free speech.
   6. Reject the Employee free -choice Elimination- act, as an unconscionable affront to the right to a secret vote.
   7. Restore integrity to the electoral process:

                                          i.   Prohibit any public funding of advocacy groups such as ACORN, no matter what it or its affiliate organizations rename themselves; New York Communities for Change, New England United for Justice etc.; Conduct thorough investigation of their activities and voter fraud and prosecute violations.

                                        ii.   Eliminate motor voter and other voter fraud mechanisms; institute secure voter registration and identification systems.

                                       iii.   Reject any effort to give foreign citizens the right to vote in the US in any situation or capacity.

1. Oppose any and all treaties with the UN or any other organization or country which surrenders US sovereignty. Specifically:

                                          i.   Reject the UN Treaty on Rights of the Child.

                                        ii.   Reject “LOST” the Law Of The Sea Treaty.

                                       iii.   Reject any agreement which seeks to confiscate our firearms.

1. Restore the process of assimilation of immigrants to preserve the benefits of an advanced educated and prosperous society.  Rescind Maine’s sanctuary State status. No amnesty, no benefits, no citizenship -ever- for anyone in the country illegally. Arrest and detain, for a specified period of time, anyone here illegally, and then deport, period.
2. Pass a Congressional reform act which includes the following provisions:

                                          i.   Term Limits: 12 years only, in any capacity.

1. Two Six year Senate terms
2. Six Two year House terms
3. One Six year Senate term and three Two Year House terms

                                        ii.    No Pension  

                                       iii.   Congress participates in Social Security under the same rules as the general public.

                                      iv.   Congress can no longer vote themselves a pay raise.

                                        v.   Congress participates in the same health care plan as the general public. No preferential plans or treatment.

                                      vi.   Congress is subject to and must abide by all the laws they impose on the general public.

1. To Establish Justice:
   1. Restore “Constitutional law” as the basis for the Judiciary.
   2. Reassert the principle that “Freedom of Religion” does not mean “freedom from religion”.
   3. To Insure Domestic tranquility:
      1. Promote family values.

                                          i.   Marriage is an institution between a man and a woman.

                                        ii.   Parents, not government, are responsible for making decisions in the best interest of their children, whether disciplinary, educational, or medical.

                                       iii.   We recognize the sanctity of life, which includes the unborn.

1. To Provide for the Common Defense:
   1. Discard political correctness, make public the declaration of war (Jihad), made against the US on  23 Feb 1998, and fight the war against the United States by radical Islam to win.
   2. Seal the border and protect US citizens along the border and everywhere, as is the prime directive of the Federal Government.
   3. To Promote the General Welfare:
      1. Return to the principles of Austrian Economics, and redirect the economy back to one of incentives to save and invest.
      2. Cut spending, balance the budget, and institute a plan for paying down debt. Proclaim that generational debt shifting is immoral and unconscionable and will not be tolerated!
      3. Pass and implement Fed bill #1207 (Introduced by Ron Paul), to Audit the Federal Reserve, as the first step in Ending the Fed.
      4. Return to transparent and honest reporting of economic statistics free of gimmicks and distortions.
      5. Require the government and all its agencies adhere to the same GAAP accounting rules that businesses must follow.
      6. Restore the provisions of welfare reform removed with the stimulus bill.
      7. Defeat Cap and Trade, investigate collusion between government and industry in the global warming myth, and prosecute any illegal collusion.
      8. Freeze current stimulus funds, prohibit any further stimulus bills, and apply all unspent funds towards the debt they created.
      9. Promote energy independence aggressively by removing the obstacles created by government to allow private development of our resources; natural gas, oil, coal, and nuclear power.
      10. Institute Zero based budgeting on all programs.
      11. Espouse and follow the principle: It is immoral to steal the property rightfully earned by one person, and give it to another who has no claim or right to its benefits. 
      12. Clarify that healthcare is not a right. It is a service.  As a compassionate society we will aid those in need. However, the government takeover of healthcare is not only unconstitutional, but detrimental to the entire healthcare system.  Only market based solutions will solve the problems.

                                          i.   In the state of Maine:

1. Remove the restrictions on health providers, (as was done in New Hampshire), to increase competition, drive down the costs, and increase the options available.
   1. Bring Maine standards in line with national average.
   2. Allow purchase of insurance across state lines. LD 290
   3. Enact tort reform as exemplified by Texas.
   4. Eliminate Dirigo

 To Secure the Blessings of Liberty:

1. 1. Restore a vigorous grounding in the history and precepts of liberty, freedom, and the constitution to the educational process. As Thomas Jefferson said, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.”

                                          i.   Eliminate the Department of Education and restore schools to local control as specified in the constitution.

1. Repeal and prohibit any participation in efforts to create a one world government.

Let’s start at the top:

1. The Constitutions, both State and Federal, are the framework to which any and all legislation must adhere.
2. State sovereignty must be regained and retained on all issues specifically relegated to the States by the constitution.
3. National sovereignty shall be preserved and retained as dominant over any attempted unconstitutional usurpations of such by international treaty.
4. It is the responsibility and duty, of “We the People”,  to educate both ourselves and others; to demand honest elections free of corruption, and to hold our elected officials to the highest standards of honesty, integrity and loyalty to the constitution.

It should be beyond serious controversy that the US Constitution is the supreme (human) law of the land and that the Maine Constitution is supreme in the State of Maine over all state and local laws. 

It should also be beyond serious controversy that the Tenth Amendment does reserve to the states all unemumerated powers given to the Federal Government.  There may be room to disagree about where that line is drawn but the manner is constitutionally settled.

It should be but probably is not that constitutional rights and national sovereignty have been and are in danger of being undermined by international treaties and agreements.  The International Criminal Court, the WTO, NAFTA, and other international agreements do threaten national sovereignty and constitutional rights.  We’ll discuss more later.

Finally, it goes without saying that we should have honest elections and the officeholders are accountable to the people. 

Next post, we’ll begin to analyze this wonderful and amazing document.

There is a surge of support for the GOP candidate, Scott Brown and he now has a chance to win.  It might be decided by a point or two.  Gary Bauer at the Campaign for Working Families has indicated his support of Brown even though he is “less solid” on values issues.  I respect Bauer very much.  I also do not like Attorney  Martha Coakley; she’s a typical liberal Democrat who played the Bush card shamelessly and disingenuously in a prior debate.  The Bush tax cuts helped the wealthy; Bush ran up deficits blah blah blah…  Actually, the rich pay most of the taxes in the USA.  What programs will Senator Coakley cut in DC?  As for me, to quote a great man, “I’d start with the departments:  The Department of Education, Department of Energy, Homeland Security..” 

Speaking of Ron Paul, there is a third candidate:  A libertarian with the ironic name of Joe Kennedy.  He has a great platform.  One I almost totally agree with.  But Kennedy has virtually no chance to win.  I would have easily suggested voting for Kennedy if Brown was far behind in the polls. 

I also reject this sordid notion that terrorists ought to tried before military tribunals for the duration of an indefinite “war on terror.”  Sounds like a great recipe for authoritarian rule in the United States.  The USA Patriot Act has already eroded our liberties.  But Brown is using it in a manner as shamefully as Coakley invoking Bush.   But Brown is willing to consider voting against Obamacare. 

So what do I do?  So, my heart rises at the idea that Brown can win over Coakley.  But Kennedy is my hero for running and taking the Ron Paul message in hostile territory.  Thankfully, I do not vote in Massachusetts.  I always pray about my vote and I urge my fellow believers and fellow libertarians in Massachusetts who read my blog (that’s all two of you!) to vote your conscience. 

Sandy the Conflicted Libertarian

Stephen Gordon in his blog on the Next Right  site has a fascinating article on how the GOP can reach the tea partiers.  A few observations:

Gordon suggests that many of the tea partiers are influenced by Cong. Paul and his movement:

Considering that a considerable portion of Tea Party organizers have ties to the Ron Paul movement, this should come as no surprise.

The tea party movement may have had its origin in the Paul 2008 campaign.  The second Trevor Lyman “money bomb” was scheduled for December 16, 2007 – the 234th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.   It raised over $6,000,000!

But, Gordon observes that there is another group in the GOP tent, what he calls the “Whole Foods, South Park and Starbucks” Republican.  They are fiscally conservative but not necessarily in favor of the agenda of the social conservatives:

Although the GOP ignored them (to their misfortune) in 2006 and 2008, there is a large and growing bloc of voters who are fiscally conservative but are turned off by some of the more extreme social conservatism (Internet gambling bans, Terri Schiavo case, etc.) associated with the Republican Party.

I do agree that the Terri Schiavo case was a PR disaster for the GOP leaders.  They came off as interfering in a personal decision.  While the specific facts might have been an injustice and I have grave concerns about starving a living human being by court order, I also see the personal, family, privacy side of this.  I suggest suburban women fled the GOP in droves in large part due to this.  Besides, the federal government should not be passing special laws to benefit one person.  Paul voted no on the Schiavo bill. 

Back to Gordon:  So who are they, according to Gordon?  A surprising answer:

Like the Tea Party movement, there are a lot of Ron Paul supporters in this demographic group.

So, a libertarian message for 2012?  Perhaps so according to Gordon:

A candidate who can appeal to more traditional Republicans, the Tea Party crowd and Whole Foods Republicans could create a mandate not seen since 2004 or the Reagan years.

Perhaps, we need a candidate who can appeal to both the tea parties and the Whole Foods Republicans.  You have to be sincere and have real answers.  Maybe here (cited by Gordon) is an idea for a proposed (I suspect Sen. DeMint is not nominating himself) candidate: 

Freedom will mean different things to different Republicans, but it can tether a diverse coalition to inalienable principles. Republicans can welcome a vigorous debate about legalized abortion or same-sex marriage; but we should be able to agree that social policies should be set through a democratic process, not by unelected judges. Our party benefits from national-security debates; but Republicans can start from the premise that the U.S. is an exceptional nation and force for good in history. We can argue about how to rein in the federal Leviathan; but we should agree that centralized government infringes on individual liberty and that problems are best solved by the people or the government closest to them.

We’ll just wait and see.  I suggest that if Governor Jindal could find a principled way to shift his direction just a bit toward the Ron Paul side, he’d be a serious contender for that proposed candidacy Sen. DeMint suggests.